Edited some of the above posts to correct the count.
#175:
Tim Buckley -
Starsailor
Amazingly executed and dynamic record. Buckley leads the listener through jazz fusion, sultry psychedelic ballads, orchestral climaxes, electrified a capella tracks, and much more. I slept on this record for way too long, don't make the same mistake.
#176:
Shabazz Palaces -
Black Up
Bizarro trap music from space full of heavy kicks, psychedelic leads, jazzy rhythms, unconventional structure, and distorted, disjointed rhymes and delivery. A different voice from what people usually have in their heads when it comes to modern hip hop.
#177:
Richard Dawson -
Nothing Important
Is it still American Primitivism when it's done by an English artist? Whatever the case is, Dawson's guitar pulls influence from modern primitivists like Sir Richard Bishop and Bill Orcutt and nods at the Canterbury scene and Beefheart. Dawson's playing is raw and unhinged while still maintaining a warmth and familiarity. Even though I'm enthralled by the instrumental elements of this album, it's strongest suit is the lyrics. Imagery driven, nonlinear, and emotive stories of loss of memory and past rebellion, all made more poignant by Dawson's (seemingly drunken) bellows, wails, and whispers. This is a very compelling album on all fronts and deserves a listen.